Marking two years until the opening ceremony, the latest batch will go on sale on 27 July. Each stamp depicts one of 29 Olympic and Paralympic sports. This new set follows an initial set of ten, and a third and final set will be issued in 2011.

A Royal Mail design team, headed by David Hillman from Studio David Hillman, approached the 30 designers, allocating a sport to each for the three-year project. Athletics is to be illustrated by two different illustrators in separate track and field stamps.

The stamps include a collage illustration by Marian Hill, which represents Paralympic rowing. Hillman’s own illustration shows a bullet-ridden shooting target, a pentathlon montage has been illustrated by Katherine Baxter, and Matthew Dennis has captured a BMX race.

The Royal Mail claims to have consulted the sports’ governing bodies and specialist clubs for each stamp, and the three sets have been organised to balance team and individual Olympic and Paralympic events.